Toxoplasmosis

Overview

What is toxoplasmosis, and how do you get it?

Toxoplasmosis (say: tox-oh-plaz-moh-sis) is an infection caused by a tiny parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. It lives in the intestines of animals such as cats and pigs.

Symptoms

What are the symptoms of toxoplasmosis?

Most people have no symptoms because their immune system keeps the parasite from causing illness. Sometimes people who have toxoplasmosis experience flu-like symptoms, such as:

In people who have a weak immune system, toxoplasmosis can cause serious medical problems, such as:

Your immune system can become weak for a number of reasons. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) can weaken the immune system. So can some kinds of cancer chemotherapy or medicines that are taken after an organ transplant.

Swollen lymph nodes

Fatigue

Headache

Body aches

Fever

Confusion

Blurry vision

Trouble with balance and coordination

Seizures

Problems with the lungs

What happens if I have it while I’m pregnant?

If you become infected while pregnant, your unborn child may also become infected. Infected babies may not develop any disease, or they may become very ill, with serious damage to the brain and eyes.

If you have been infected previously (at least 6 to 9 months before your pregnancy) with toxoplasma, you will develop immunity to it. The infection will not be active when you become pregnant, and so there is rarely a risk to your baby.

Causes & Risk Factors

How do you get toxoplasmosis?

You can get toxoplasmosis in the following ways:

People who have an organ transplant or a blood transfusion can also get toxoplasmosis if the organ or blood were infected. However, this rarely happens.

By swallowing the parasite in cat litter or dirt that has cat droppings in it. This can happen if you put your hands to your mouth after gardening, cleaning a cat litter box or touching anything that has been in contact with cat droppings. Cats sometimes carry the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, especially if they hunt animals or are fed raw meat.

I have a cat. Can I keep it?

Yes. If your immune system is weak, here are some things you can do to keep from getting toxoplasmosis:

Cats only spread toxoplasmosis in their droppings for a few weeks in their lives (usually after they are first infected), so there is no benefit to having your cat’s droppings tested for the toxoplasmosis parasite.

Keep your cat indoors so that it does not pick up the toxoplasmosis parasite from the animals it hunts.

If possible, have someone else take care of your cat while you are pregnant.

Feed your cat only dry or canned cat food. Like humans, cats can become infected with toxoplasmosis by eating raw or undercooked meat.

Do not bring a new cat into your house if the animal might have been an outdoor cat or might have been fed raw meat. Do not handle stray cats or kittens.

Have a person who is healthy and not pregnant change your cat’s litter box, and then disinfect it with boiling water for 5 minutes. If you have to change the cat litter yourself, wear gloves while you do it. When you finish, wash your hands well with soap and warm water. Clean the litter box daily.